Michael Wyatt Cox is a seasoned actor, having appeared in shows at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Manhattan Rep, Atlantic Arts and New York’s 45th St. Theatre. He’s also heading up the national tour of “War Horse,” which gallops into the BJCC Concert Hall beginning Tuesday.

DETAILS

What: “War Horse,” an Equity national tour presented by Broadway in Birmingham

When: March 18-20 at 7:30 p.m.; March 21 at 8 p.m.; March 22 at 2 p.m. at 8 p.m.; March 23 at 1 p.m.

Tickets: $22.50-$70, through Ticketmaster

But Cox knows that most folks in the audience won’t be there for him. They are there for the horse, and he doesn’t mind at all.

“That’s something that we are all aware of,” he says. “They say the hardest thing to act against are little kids and live animals, and that’s definitely true of ‘War Horse.’ If you leave your ego at the door, that’s for the best. All of us are just so lucky to be a part of this. I love acting with Joey, and I hope people watch his every move.”

Joey is the horse, and though he isn’t live, he might as well be. Three humans control a giant puppet that creates the illusion of a living, breathing horse on stage. The puppeteering is something that distinguished “War Horse,” based on a children’s book by Michael Morpurgo. The stage version earned acclaim first on London’s West End, then on Broadway and, lastly, as a feature film directed by Steven Spielberg.

“When I first came to New York, it was a big deal,” Cox says. “We were all interested because we had heard about the show in London, and every actor was clamoring to get in the room to be seen.”

Cox didn’t make it into that room for auditions for the Broadway production, but when the tour came around, he was cast as young Albert, who goes to find Joey, his beloved horse who is now being used by the British in World War I.

“It was not really because I was acting with puppets, but because it was something so new,” he says. “Once I saw Joey take life in rehearsal and saw the work that the puppeteers were doing, I was excited to be on stage with him.”

It’s almost like having another actor on stage with him, Cox says.

“He listens and responds to what I do naturally,” Cox says. “We have a good time on stage together. Four different teams puppeteer Joey, and each team brings a different personality to it, so it feels new every time.”

Most exciting, though, is the audience reaction to “War Horse.”

“People are as crazy for it as I was when I first saw it,” Cox says. “It’s more than a play. It’s a theatrical event. There’s so much to it, with the lights to the live music to the amazing puppetry. It’s such a powerful piece.”